This invention relates to flooring systems and more particularly to false or access floor systems suitable for the installation of services thereunder or therein.
There exists a problem in the installation, in offices and similar work areas, of services such as electricity, telephone, computer wiring, water, gas and refrigeration systems for machines such as computers and particularly the provision of these services into spaces such as open plan offices, shops with island-type displays, factories, laboratories, classrooms, exhibition stands and similar environments. The problem of installation is further exacerbated in open space areas when there is no prior knowledge of the tenants or users requirements at the time of building construction.
There are known systems to provide services around the periphery of such an area, but where such a service is required within the area, then, the flooring must have ducts pre-laid or outlets must be suspended from a ceiling void or roof to provide services to such points. Floor ducts cannot be moved once they are installed and are often spaced at too great an interval to provide a flexible solution to the problem. The supply of services from the ceiling is usually unsightly.
There are access floor systems for power stations and main frame computer installations, but these access floor systems comprise substantial and tall pedestals to the corners of panels with possibly stringers between the pedestals, and thick, heavy access floor panels. Such systems are not suitable for economic installation within large office spaces, plus their considerable installed weight creates an added load on a building's structure. Quite often, the minimum finished floor height of these systems also prohibits their installation when the existing available floor to ceiling height is already close to the minimum required by an applicable standard.
Australian patent specification No. 458973 entitled MODULAR FLOORING, shows a floor module to mount on an existing floor. This includes a floor panel with supports underneath fixed to the underside of the panel. The supports are designed to be affixed onto the sub-floor and hence access to the under floor region can only be obtained around the edges of the region covered by this type of modular flooring and hence it is very difficult to install new services once this flooring has been fastened in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 3943673 entitled ELEVATED FLOOR ASSEMBLY defines a series of large panels on pedestals with interlocking means between the panels. Each of the pedestals has means for providing individual height adjustment which, although a level floor can be obtained thereby, a time-consuming process is necessary to ensure that each pedestal is adjusted separately. This type of arrangement is particularly adapted for main frame computer installations but is not suitable for general office environments.
Australian patent specification No. 484603, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4573299, entitled FLOOR COVERING ARTICLE, provides a matrix base for a false floor which includes a plate-like upper surface integral with the base elements. This article requires that services first be laid down on the sub-floor surface and then the upper surface with the integral base elements laid down to provide a false floor. Some difficulty occurs in positioning the services so that they do not interfere with the base elements and, in fact, these systems are particularly difficult to use.
Some unique problems exist with the installation of false floor arrangements for electricity and telephone services and obtaining permission from the relevant authorities to install these services within a low-in height, false floor system. An arrangement having an upper surface permanently fixed to legs or posts, which are in turn fastened to the sub-floor to prevent movement, creates spaces or voids between and around the legs or posts. These may be classified as ducts or wiring enclosures and hence require special mechanical separation of the different types of services contained therein. However, if the floor surface including the carpet covering is easily removable, then, even if the support module is fastened to the floor, the false floor space or void may alternatively be classified as a building cavity. Hence, in Australia, for instance, it is only necessary in spaces classified as a building cavity that services be separated by 50 millimeters of air space along their runs and that at cross-over points there be provided at least 6 millimeters of insulating material overlapping the cross-over by 25 millimeters on all sides.
A further problem exists in that many sub-floors onto which access floors are to be installed are not even or level. Hence, provision of some form of leveling capability may be required. Prior art devices of the types that are discussed above rely on individual screw adjustment of each pedestal which can be a time-consuming operation.